Top of the Tree: FV215b

This edition of the special is dedicated to British heavy tanks. These vehicles are not commonly considered the easiest tanks to play. However, once mastered, they can cause a serious ruckus on the battlefield. If you think you have what it takes to tame these skittish beasts, then during the next two weeks, follow the research line leading to the FV215band enjoy some great discounts and Crew XP bonuses:

Your crews will be also very excited about the new toys in your garage!

FV215b

“Oh, you know me – once I start flinging those shells, I just can’t stop myself!”

Vehicle Overview

As mentioned before, the FV215b is not the easiest tank to command. The main reason for this is that its hull armour is significantly weaker than its peers. Add to this its huge silhouette and low top speed and you have the recipe for a shell magnet. Moreover, the tank turret is located on the rear of the vehicle, which requires a different play-style to what you may be used to. Last but not least, it has to be pointed out that due to its mediocre armour, the FV215b is quite prone to crew injuries and module damage, especially the engine and ammo rack.

However, these cons are evened out by the vehicle’s gun. The L1A1 120mm gun this vehicle is equipped with is truly state of the art, with an extremely good rate of fire, high accuracy (both when stationary and on the move), fast aiming time and good depression value. In fact, it is the fastest-firing Tier X heavy (excluding autoloaders) and can easily rain shells upon the enemy. Also, despite the rather underwhelming hull armour, the FV215b’s turret actually has quite decent protection and can bounce a fair few shots. Also, it is noteworthy that the tank’s HP pool is 2,500 hit-points, which is a lot even by Tier X standards.

Keeping in mind the above, it is evident that the FV215b is not the perfect vehicle for the first line of attack. As such, you should play it like a support vehicle and allow your better armoured peers to lead the charge, while providing covering fire yourself. This tank is perfect for dealing follow-up damage. By that, we mean attacking the enemy vehicle right after they have fired and are retreating to reload.

In fact, the FV215b can sometimes fire two shells in the time it takes an enemy vehicle to shoot just one. Therefore, jumping out at an enemy that has just fired and is busy reloading can result in you landing two painful hits to their hull before moving back behind cover before - all before they are able to return the favour. When you’re engaging a slow-firing enemy, it is good to place your first shell in their suspension to immobilise them – a grounded target is a sitting duck for other tanks on your team, as well as for artillery. While doing this, make sure that the target isn’t protected by other tanks – otherwise you may find yourself tracked and quickly neutralised instead.

Speaking of artillery, remember this: artillery love the FV215b. Bearing in mind your slow speed, large size and unreliable armour, you can rest assured that enemy SPGs will never hesitate to target you if you’re out in the open. Needless to say, carelessness, such as driving through an open field, can result in things going pretty badly for you very quickly. Therefore, when using this vehicle, try to always have some form of cover in your vicinity that you can retreat behind when spotted.

If you find yourself engaging the enemy head on for some reason, make sure that you can hide your hull behind a pile of rubble, a wreck or any other similar form of cover – being shot in the lower glacis can result in engine damage and fire. If no such cover is available, you can try using larger cover, such as a building, to hide your frontal plate and side-scrape the enemy fire. However, please note that your side armour isn’t particularly strong either, so if you’re up against the big-guns, forget this tactic and hide. Also, don’t go anywhere alone – you won’t last long against multiple opponents. You are a supporting vehicle and, as such, you are meant to stay in the second line and let others spearhead the offensive.

In order to maximise your performance on the battlefield, we suggest installing the following equipment:

Improved ventilation class 3

Large-caliber tank gun rammer

Toolbox/ Fill Tanks with CO2

In addition, your crew members should learn the following skills and perks:

Commander

Gunner

Driver

Loader/Radio Operator

As always, please consider the setup for both the equipment and crew skills as suggestions. Feel free to experiment on your own and choose what you think works best for you.